Boat in for repairs catches fire

This 18' Campion boat caught fire in the lot of Dockside Marine off Highway 97 at around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.

(ADAM PROSKIW /InfoTel Multimedia)

October 30, 2013 - 5:31 PM

KELOWNA - Quick thinking and a couple extinguishers saved the day when a boat caught fire at Dockside Marine Wednesday.

The 18-foot Campion was brought in for repairs and was being worked on by a mechanic when a fire broke out in the engine compartment and spread to the rest of the boat.

“It spread very quickly,” said Rose Bosch, Dockside Service Manager. “The guys did a great job and it was out before the firefighters even got here.”

The boat was parked against the main building when the fire started shortly after 4:30 p.m., but an employee used a forklift fitted with a hitch to move it to the middle of the lot. The fire was extinguished within minutes but Kelowna firefighters spent half an hour hosing it down to ensure there was no chance of reigniting.

According to Bosch, the boat was brought in with engine problems and the exact cause of the fire is not yet known.

OPINION Editor, This is a busy time of year, but I find it’s also a time of reflection, particularly as January marks the end of my two-year term as Chair and my 10 years serving on the Board of Interior